The Red Wastelander
by LukasDeAudi
Summary: Set a year after the events of Frozen City. Sebastian feels something is missing and that the story didn't end the way it should. He abandons the stabile conditions of his day to day duties and leaps once again into the great unknown to find the only person worth saving - Anna. Suggested Sebastian x Anna. You've been warned!
1. Chapter 1 (Revised)

It was almost a year from the events with Rexa and the unfortunate murder of the original human governor. Majority of citizens in the colony lost the memory in the daily grind of survival. However, there was a certain group of dragons who had a hard time forgetting.

"Why the long face, Sebastian?" asked a rather large bronze earth dragon his much smaller brown runner friend. The runner just sighed.

"I don't know, I've got one of those blues I suppose," said Sebastian, looking down his half-empty cup of tea.

"Hey, it's almost Spring again, cheer up," patted the bronze dragon his friend on the back. That didn't seem to help at all though.

"That's the problem, Bryce," snapped Sebastian, hitting the table with his fist. "This day, it's almost a year we've lost Anna. She was one of us and we let her die."

Bryce put on a serious face, "You or I couldn't do anything to stop her. Besides, she would most likely get executed."

Sebastian was ready to argue some more, but Bryce was in the boss mood, "And I forbid you from thinking about her, or I'll tell Adine."

"Please, no. She almost killed me last time with those Comfort Cookies. My jaw still hurts," waved Sebastian his talons in the air, knocking over the now empty cup of tea.

Bryce looked down at Sebastian and deep down, he felt sorry for him. He got heartbroken by someone he knew for years. He also envied the power to go on pursuing the same person who had broken him. Bryce gave the small dragon a smile.

"Just take it easy. Who knows what might happen," he said, leaving Sebastian alone.

In the cafeteria doors, Bryce exchanged place with Lorem and Vara. One could wonder how could the pair fit next to the police chief in the narrow door frame.

"Hey, Seb. What's up?" said Lorem upon spotting the peacekeeper officer. Sebastian face-palmed then turned to the blue dragon and responded, "I am fine."

"Oh damn, someone had a bad day," sang Vara in a low tone on Lorem's right. Lorem smiled at his girl, "Dear, could you get us our portion of rations for today, please."

Vara nodded and like a fox, disappeared in the crowd of people waiting for their meal.

The blue dragon took a seat across the table so he could face the peacekeeper.

"So, what's really been going on?" said Lorem to Sebastian in a concerned voice.

"Bad day, just as your girlfriend has said. Nothing else" snapped Sebastian. Those people asking him about his mental state weren't helping his sorrow at all.

"I refuse to believe that, sorry," closed Lorem his eyes, "It's about Anna, isn't it?"

Sebastian gasped, "How the hell do you know?"

Lorem showed his teeth, the eyes still closed, "You are not the only one with a memory, Sebastian."

The room seemed to get dark as if the world ceased to exist around the two. Lorem continued, "I've never told anyone the truth. I wasn't the one who shot Rexa. Anna was."

Sebastian was looking straight at Lorem, his heart pumping.

"She chose exile over death by a human hand. She's still alive, but doesn't want to be discovered," finished Lorem the strange talk.

The world returned to its normal pace. Next to Lorem was Vara, balancing two plastic meal boxes on her nose. Lorem took them, unwrapped the silverware he had in his bag and together with the pink dragoness, they started eating.

Sebastian, both eyes wide open, was lost in his thoughts, completely taken over by the moment. "What the hell just happened? What were you talking about just a minute ago?"

"I've been talking about how the food improved over the last year, haven't I? What do you think, Vara?" said Lorem. The pink girl nodded, as she couldn't respond properly with her mouth full.

Sebastian picked up the empty cup of his and sniffed it. It smelled alright. He had to be imagining things. He raised himself to his feet, shook the head of his, fixed the police cap back in its place. He looked down at the couple eating together and he felt his stomach move.

"I'll be on my way," said the peacekeeper, pointing behind himself, "Someone is... waiting for me."

Lorem saluted in his direction and Vara gave him a warm smile. Sebastian was good to go. He also felt a bit of shame, because he used a cheap excuse to get away from the situation he didn't fully understand.

The air in the colony was getting warmer. The snow was slowly going away, but it would take a long time to melt it all. They had about a week to pursue repairs and maintenance before another deep frost would hit. Sebastian walked through the empty streets. Long shadows suggested the night was approaching.

What was the thing that happened in the cafeteria? Was Sebastian losing it? Lorem had to be a key, or maybe he wasn't. Sebastian grabbed his temples as a sharp pain hit his brain. He had to get home and lie down ASAP.

His head ringing, he walked forward until he found his doors. God knows how he got inside. Sebastian certainly didn't care a second later, after his head hit the pillow.

Phone ringing pried Sebastian from his slumber. He opened his eyes, looking for the source of the noise. He didn't have a land-line, did he? So, why was he hearing a damned phone? He had to be cursed by Anna's spirit. Oh, that was it. Anna was haunting him for thinking they could be a couple.

The ringing didn't stop though, even after he had focused on it. The doorbell, that was the only option.

"Keep it down, will ya. I am coming," yelled Sebastian across the room, not sure if the one disturbing his day off could even hear him. He raised himself from the bed and realised he had slept in all of his gear. Great...

His back hurt like seven hells put together, but he still managed to limp over to his apartment doors.

"You better have a good reason for waking me up," he groaned through his teeth, half hoping it was someone he could use as a verbal punchbag.

Yellow skin, nose with two green stripes and eternal goofy grin. Only one wyvern could look like that.

"Food delivery!"


	2. Chapter 2 (Revised)

"Food delivery!" chirped Adine happily.

Sebastian put his weight on the door frame and looked at the bouncing wyvern in the front of his flat. "But, I didn't order anything?" he said.

"I thought you could use a hot meal at least once a week," smiled Adine. She was exchanging weight from feet to feet. "Will you invite me in? I had to walk half the distance here and my feet hurt."

A small creature in the back of Sebastian's head poked the dragon to slam the doors in Adine's face. She had woken you up and didn't even apologise, it said. Sebastian suppressed the devil's voice, took the food box off Adine and gestured she could make herself at home.

The small wyvern found her place in an armchair, folding the wings to her sides with care to not knock anything over. She still managed to tip over an empty chair with her tail. "Sorry, I am just not used to having so many things around myself," she said. "I must say, you've got a nice place to live in. My and Alex's flat is barren compared to this."

Sebastian opened the food box. Inside of it was some rice mixture with three types of vegetables. He could see an onion, pea and sweet corn. He smiled at the meal as if it was his first in a long time.

"Why don't you and Alex buy something nice then? Is it because you are clumsy?" asked Sebastian.

Adine frowned at the thought, "I am not clumsy. It's just, this place is too small for me. For the second thought, I think Alex doesn't want to get attached to the place and I have to respect that."

Sebastian disappeared for a brief moment to take off his equipment belt and a bulletproof vest. He felt the extra weight chipping away his strength. He returned with a correct tool to eat the brought meal. Adine was patiently waiting for him, her eyes scanning every curve of his body.

"Do you want anything by the way?" asked the peacekeeper before sitting down. "I don't want to feel like the scum of an Earth."

Adine smiled, "You don't have to worry. Although, tea would be nice."

"Why didn't you say so? One British national coming right up." Sebastian spun on one leg and disappeared back in the kitchen.

Adine grinned and looked around herself. He truly had a good taste, although she couldn't live in such a small apartment. Her wingspan wouldn't allow it, as she couldn't afford to even stretch the way she was used to.

In about five minutes, Sebastian was back with a porcelain cup. He put it in the front of the wyvern along with a teaspoon and a bowl with dark sugar. He also brought those small plastic milk boxes, who were usually used in fancy restaurants, in case Adine wanted a true British tea.

Adine smelled the tea and mumbled her thanks. Sebastian sat behind his soon-to-be cold meal and started eating. For his first food of the day, it wasn't half bad.

When he was finished with the rice, a question was laid out by Adine. "I heard you were in a bad mood yesterday. What is going on?" She said it between her attempt to open the milk capsule with a talon. Few drops landed in a cup and the rest splattered over Adine's claw-hand. She licked it immediately and giggled.

Sebastian blushed and looked away. He had to wonder why the others were so damn concerned about his mental health. "Nothing was going on," he responded, "I've just remembered someone we've lost on the way here."

"On the way here? Who do you have in mind?" Adine put both of semi-elbows on a table. She had her chin in the three-fingered claws of hers, looking straight up at Sebastian. She looked almost adorable with an open concern in her eyes, ready to hear anything Sebastian would tell her. She also had drops of milk on her muzzle.

The peacekeeper himself wasn't so willing to talk though. The wound he had, it had to heal or he would be feeling the pain in his heart till the day he'd die. And opening it every time Adine was around wasn't a good treatment.

"It's Anna. I think she is still alive and it doesn't feel right abandoning her like that," he confessed. "It's been eating me away for the last couple of months and I feel like I won't be at peace until I bury the memory. Or her body."

Adine stood up and sat on the couch next to Sebastian. She put her wings around him in a friendly hug, "I too feel the need to have this chapter closed. Anna was indeed special. A handful one, but special."

Adine and Sebastian remained motionless for quite some time. Sebastian was stiff, lost in thoughts regarding the other day. Was he imagining things, or was Lorem somehow tied into the events? As unlikely it seemed, he was the last person to see Anna alive. Then there was Alex, but getting the man to talk was even harder.

Adine was warm, putting half of her weight on the peacekeeper. She had a pleasant odour of an ocean around her. Sebastian wondered if she was doing all of this out of her nature, or to get revenge on Alex for something. From the point he saw it, Alex wasn't an ideal husband, always ignoring his wife, even more so after the kidnapping. Something changed. He wasn't the same man.

Sebastian wiggled out of the hug. He looked down at the grinning wyvern and said, "It's time to clean up and go. I need to visit a few people and I think you've got places to be as well."

"Oh, speaking of people," remembered Adine something, "Bryce wanted to see you in his office. I must say, he's climbing up the ranks."

Sebastian sighed. One of the few happy things that happened over the last few months. "Yeah, he does," he said, "Though I'd prefer fewer stairs to climb every time he wants to see me."

Adine giggled, "I bet you are not the only one." Then her expression changed back to concerned, "Will you be okay? I can't risk losing you too."

Sebastian nodded and hoped this would satisfy the wyvern at least until tomorrow. He could get used to getting his food delivered like that though. Attractive dragon girl was a nice bonus.

* * *

Sebastian, in less gear than usual, walked through the streets of the colony. People, humans and dragons alike, were outside going about their business. It was a free day for everyone, so the citizens were catching up with their friends and families, shopping for supplies etc.

Sebastian had a plan. There was one particular person in the colony, who was living with Anna and acted like he didn't know her.

Remy.

Sebastian could wonder why Remy changed his attitude towards Anna. They used to be together and if someone wanted to put him in the same box as Anna, they would do it. Maybe it was because of Amely. The small Remy's and Anna's semi-offspring was a bit strange, but that could be expected given she was just a clone. Sebastian didn't hear about Remy or Amely in weeks. The white dragon kept his job at the Central Office and Amely started attending the academy. She wanted to become a peacekeeper.

Sebastian remembered Amely being small and defenceless. The time was a quick runner and the brown dragon didn't even notice Amely was almost an adult.

The peacekeeper knocked on Remy's apartment. There was no response for a while, but someone was moving inside. Then, a white and red dragoness opened.

"Hey, Sebastian. Is there something you need?" asked Amely with a smile.

Sebastian looked at her and the grin of hers immediately reminded him of Adine. Thank God the yellow wyvern gave this child a good start, or she could be as distant or hateful as Remy or Anna.

"Hey, Amely," started Sebastian, trying to fix his police cap before realising he didn't have it on. "How is the academy treating you?"

Amely let the peacekeeper in. The apartment was barren, most of the furniture had empty shelves. There was a great number of cardboard boxes with various decorative items. Unplugged electrical wires were left lying without any purpose all around the floor.

"It's been okay. I return home only for weekends to look after my dad. He's not doing well," summed up Amely her life situation.

"I see," nodded Sebastian, "Do you want to help cleaning up?"

To his surprise, Amely waved her talon, "No need, thank you. My father is going to toss the stuff all over the place during my absence anyway."

"Is Remy home?" asked Sebastian, because frankly, that was the only thing he was interested in for various reasons.

Amely shook her head, "No. He left this morning and haven't returned yet. He does that, don't worry."

"Strange, Remy was always so organised. What happened?" voiced Sebastian his thoughts without even realising.

"I guess stress. Ever since mum got declared KIA, his boss was treating him like a piece of crap," said Amely as if it was an everyday bread for her.

"Amely, watch your tongue," barked out Sebastian and the girl apologised immediately. She didn't look like she was sorry though. The world had to be hard on her as well. Sebastian could imagine, having to take care of your delusional father, keeping up at school and probably paying attention to everything else as well. That was life.

Sebastian returned back to the topic he came there for, "Amely, can I have a look at Anna's things, if there are any left?"

"Indeed. Father locked her room, but I have the key. I am sure he wouldn't mind you going through them though. You are the force of the law," said Amely and departed to get the mentioned key.

It seemed like Anna's room was left undisturbed for the time of her absence. There was her bed, messy as always. Dust was settling on all of the shelves and equipment of her little home laboratory. There was also an open book on the pillow. It was an issue about the weather patterns Anna was talking about. She also mentioned a place she wanted to visit in her lifetime if she got a chance.

Sebastian sat down on the rough bedding and picked up the science book. There was a red bookmark in the middle of it. Sebastian turned the pages until he arrived at the sharp, hand-drawn marker. By design, it looked like a child made it. On one end was a crude drawing of Anna's face and on the other one was the paper cut into a triangle. The whole surface of the bookmark was filled in with red crayon and an occasional stripe of grey here and there. Sebastian smiled at that.

_'Here lies Anna in a lizard form.'_

He wondered if Amely was the one who made that marker and what was Anna's first reaction to it. He'd bet she hated it and it had to be adorable to look at.

Back to the book. The page bookmarked had an article about environmental processors and how they played a big role in humanity's history. If Anna was alive, Sebastian could bet his life she would try and reach such a device. When he thought about it, it seemed more likely than anything else. There was one weather processor in the wasteland, far on the north. Back in the old days, it was supposed to be repairing local polluted air.

Sebastian closed the book with a loud clap. He had a lead.


	3. Chapter 3 (Revised)

"Have you wanted to see me, boss?" started Sebastian immediately after opening the milk-glass door of Bryce's office. The hundred steps climb was surprisingly refreshing. He might make this place his endurance training ground.

Bryce was once again tending to some paperwork. His secretary wasn't around.

"Well, yes. However, the matter is personal," scratched the big dragon his head, looking at Sebastian from behind the pile of paper.

Sebastian came closer and hoped he wouldn't cause a breeze that would send all the documents flying. Bryce wouldn't be happy in that case, not at all.

"I know you've been busy today. You can't let Anna rest, can you?" winked Bryce at the runner. Sebastian blushed immediately, drops of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"I am not judging you, kid," reassured Bryce his colleague, "Have you been able to uncover some new facts on her possible whereabouts?"

For a brief moment, Sebastian had an urge to lie to his chief. Where was Bryce going with this?

"Actually, I was," said Sebastian, "Anna was always interested in controlling the weather. She had a dream of spreading life into inhospitable places in the wasteland."

"Noble goal," nodded Bryce in an agreement, "Sure wouldn't expect that from someone like Anna."

Sebastian swallowed the need to disprove Bryce in the matter of good deeds and Anna. Instead, he continued.

"I've visited her apartment this morning and there was a certain book that sparked an idea in me," explained Sebastian, "Humans had a technology to control weather locally. Something called Environmental Processor was in a play. If I am correct, Anna could very well try and reach such a place."

"I've heard about these. The peacekeepers kept a garrison in one for weeks, until the government pulled us out," kept nodding Bryce, "It's not even so far away. If Anna made one working..."

"Her past mistakes would be forgotten," added Sebastian.

"Good theory," shifted Bryce in his seat, "Now bring me some evidence."

That was the problem Sebastian wanted to discuss. "But, chief. I am on a day-long patrol tomorrow and I won't have time to tend to this until next work break in three weeks."

Bryce seemed to be getting where he wanted to be as well, "Well, consider yourself relieved from duty until Friday. And don't let me catch you slacking at home."

Sebastian didn't realise what happened for a while. Until it hit him. "Sir, I... Thank you." And he bowed in gratitude.

Bryce raised his talon, "Yeah, stop with the appreciation. Send me a note if you need supplies, otherwise, I don't want to know you exist."

When Bryce raised his glance once again, Sebastian was gone in a puff of smoke. Only a half-opened doors suggested someone ever visited the old chief.

* * *

Sebastian was waiting for the clock to hit four in the afternoon. Lorem would be released from duty by that time and the peacekeeper needed him for something.

"Hey, Lorem! Can I have you for a minute?" called Sebastian across the room. Lorem worked in a machine maintenance department. Cars, transporters, mining equipment and steam pumps were his speciality. Quite a shift for someone who wanted to become an artist. Well, machine engineering could be considered an art, though.

"Seb? What does someone like you doing in such a dump?" asked Lorem, wide grin on his face. He had oil all over his forearms, but he looked happy. If he was a human, he would have a long beard and pumped up muscles. Sebastian could also imagine him talking like a pirate.

"I've got a favour to ask," started Sebastian, cutting to the chase, "Can I borrow your buggy? I need to go visit someplace in the wasteland and can't make it on foot in time."

"Certainly. Anything for you, man," Lorem agreed on a deal. He wiped his forehead, getting the oil on his face. He looked like he had war paint on. "Although, I'd like to go with you if I wasn't so busy."

"I understand," nodded Sebastian and gave the smaller dragon a pat on a shoulder, "I'll steer her carefully."

With the starter keys in his possession, Sebastian made his way towards the garage block. Memories of the gunfight attacked him from all the angles. The adrenaline, bullets flying through the air, sweat and blood of the fallen. Anna and him in the middle of it, fighting against those who swore to protect them.

Lorem's buggy wasn't so hard to find as it had only a little bit of rust on it. Lorem was keeping his precious in a state he didn't have to be ashamed of. He also blew all the extra money on repairs and paint, to the point even Vara complained about his common sense and priorities.

Soon, Sebastian was driving through the frozen wasteland. He had his ActiveGlass goggles on, not only to shield his eyes from the snow but to also know a general direction in which he was going. The long-shot harpoon rifle was on a seat next to him like a loyal friend.

Temperatures were on a raise, getting as high as minus five. For Sebastian, that was almost comfortable, because he was used to temperatures as low as minus thirty.

He would drive for an hour or two if he was lucky and didn't run into trouble. The snow was unstable, changing by an hour. That made using any permanent maps a waste of time. Compass was your best friend in the wasteland.

With clocks ticking and time passing by, clouds above Sebastian's head started forming an unpleasant sight.

"Damn," cursed Sebastian, "Storm's rolling in and I am in the middle of nowhere."

A storm could really mess the plan up. The vehicle of Sebastian didn't have a windshield and the runner had his doubts about its performance under extreme conditions. Lorem built the car out of spare parts, so malfunctions could be expected.

It was a race Sebastian couldn't win. His best bet would be to find a ruin of some sort. Damn the consequences, if he got snowed in, he could always dig himself out.

The frozen wasteland was stretching across the horizon, infinite and almost empty. Eternal winter lasting for a few centuries turned all the remains of civilisation into ruined memorials.

Sebastian had to hide as soon as possible. Fresh snow, sharp as pieces of broken glass, was whisking around the chassis of the buggy and touching his body all over. HUD of his was popping one warning after another.

Sebastian slid with the vehicle from an ice dune and drove like crazy. There had to be something there. The temperature was going down, reaching minus twenty in less than five minutes. If the engine was to give out, Sebastian would be done for. He couldn't survive under such conditions. His years of experience meant nothing. The wild ice storm didn't care.

Sebastian drove behind a dune, hoping it would shield him from the wind. Unfortunately, the dune itself started moving. Hundreds of pounds of old snow just raised in the skies and like an avalanche of frozen-solid boulders, it flew away. The wind crushed it back down to dust. Where was a mountain, there remained a flat ground.

Sebastian had an idea. If he could find the old highway, that used to go through the land, he could follow it and hopefully, find a suitable shelter. Finding anything, even without a raging storm on your tail, could prove difficult though.

Something caught his attention. A reflection of headlights, strong ones as well. A resource convoy! That meant people. They could lead him towards the nearest settlement or help him find a place to wait for the storm to pass.

Three trucks with camo painting faded in from the fog. Sebastian gulped. That wasn't a resource convoy.

He knew those colours. They belonged to Rexa's mercenaries.

The truck leading the convoy used his honker to stop Sebastian in his tracks. The storm settled to standby intensity for a while so one could get out of the car without being blown away. Sebastian realised driver's door had frozen to chassis and got stuck. He remained in the seat.

A tall man with a rifle got out of the transporter. He was aiming at the dragon. Sebastian had his harpoon rifle also at ready. It was a draw.

The man lowered the gun first and said, "Hey, buddy," his voice was a bit distorted by the wind, "I don't know who you are, but you don't look like a scavenger to me. So, you are good in my book."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" yelled Sebastian. "You are Rexa's followers, you are the bad guys!"

"Chill dude," said the man, getting closer to Sebastian. The rifle of his was hanging down his side, "Rexa is dead and being a bandit doesn't feed the platoon. We haul supplies from settlement to settlement in exchange for food and fuel."

Merchants? That's a twist. Hold on, they could know about Anna. But first, a place to hide before the storm would return.

"Do you know about a place where I could hide?" yelled Sebastian.

"Indeed," responded the man, "There's a bomb shelter nearby to the south, pretty big place. You could fit five cars like yours in it."

They could be leading him into a trap, but his options were scarce. Sebastian had to give it a shot.

As the human had said. An old nuclear shelter was sitting in the middle of nowhere. It's main doors, big enough for the biggest transporter Sebastian's home colony had, was wide open. More specifically, they were missing, probably scrapped for precious metals by scavengers.

Sebastian drove in without giving it a second thought. If someone lived there, he would have to deal with them somehow.

He was in the dark. A storm took out the only light bulb the buggy had at the front. Sebastian shivered as a figurative ice rod pierced his body. He was being watched, or he was imagining it. That could always be an option. He turned on the night vision. The battery of the ActiveGlass was getting low, a prize for using it in the cold. Soon, his trusty googles would be only a piece of colourful plastic sheet. The comfort of seeing what was going on around him was enough to balance the energy crisis though.

The shelter was empty. Heat signatures were nonexistent, so was any sound, apart from the raging storm outside. Sebastian was truly alone.

"Are you lost, my child?"

A voice pried Sebastian out of a nap. He couldn't remember falling asleep. He jerked up, panting and reaching for his rifle. He had his iron sights fixed on a human face, wrapped in cloth cowl of some sort. His vision cleared and he realised he's pointing a harpoon in an elderly woman's face. Shame hit him like a rock and he lowered the gun immediately.

"Oh boy, you are a weird fellow, let me tell ya," said the woman, totally undisturbed by the fact she almost had her head blown off. "Were you bullied in your better years? Oh, I am sorry. Is that why are you so hostile to strangers?"

Did that strange grandma even know there was a war outside? Sebastian was utterly confused. He climbed out of the car. The engine wouldn't start without some help anyway and he was curious about the survivor he had just discovered.

He followed the elderly woman. As she walked through the dark corridors of the long-abandoned shelter, he had an urge to ask.

"What are you doing here all alone?" he said.

"I am listening to the winds from the north, young man. They've got a lot of stories to tell about times humanity wasn't so desperate," said the woman.

Great, another fortune teller. "You mean, the time before my people settled here? That had to be a long time ago." Sebastian followed the topic and the woman through the catacombs. They were going deeper into the shelter. There was light at the end of the corridor.

"For the assumption, I am here all alone," said the grandma and pointed at the light, "Take a look." And she shoved her weight into Sebastian to get him through the rusty doors.

Sebastian yelped and fell forward, regaining his balance few steps in the large room. His eyes grew wide as at least a dozen of glances was fixed on him.

"A holy messenger," said a man sitting nearby after a long pause, "Welcome to our church."

Religious people, what a find. Sebastian couldn't be happier, in a sarcastic way of course. He was a polite dragon, so he bowed and said, "Good health and peace of mind to you all as well. I am grateful for your warm welcome." He smirked to himself. Such a gesture had to be accepted by even the craziest madman in existence.

The man who spoke earlier raised to his feet. He was tall and well-built for someone living in a wasteland. He had a cloth robe on himself and he truly reminded Sebastian of a poor priest.

"What are you seeking in our home, traveller?" said the man.

"I am looking for someone called Anne Bright. She's about my height, has red and white scales and green eyes," barked out Sebastian with one breath.

The man raised hands above his head, "Oh, the holy spirits of God, help this poor man." He remained motionless for a while.

The elderly woman Sebastian had encountered earlier came from behind, "I know who you are seeking, young man. Your Anne is at The Metal Peak of Saints, an artefact of the old world." The woman raised one finger to the height of her eyes, "She comes down to our humble shelter to warm up her body and soul from all the good deeds she's doing."

"Anna and good deeds? That's the second time I hear this and it still doesn't add up," commented Sebastian, but not so loud the others could hear him.

"You'll find your destiny in the Metal Peak's chambers, traveller," said the priest, lowering his arms and penetrating Sebastian with a long and distant look. It seemed like he wasn't looking at the dragon, but somewhere behind him.

The sudden arrival of someone cleared up the atmosphere.

"Hey, the weather's shit and no one even comes to help me!" yelled a feminine voice, "And who the hell parked the damn car at the entrance?"


	4. Chapter 4 (Revised)

"Anna!" bounced Sebastian on his feet and wrapped himself around the surprised dragoness.

"Sebastian? What the hell are you doing here? Not that I am complaining, you are warm and I am cold," blushed Anna and leaned into Sebastian, "Don't you dare to let me go for at least an hour."

"It's good to hear your tongue is still sharp," complimented her Sebastian, "I was worried your brain would start to go soft."

"Not in the million years," snickered Anna.

The elderly woman, who was standing nearby, grabbed both dragons by their shoulders. "I know about a place, where you can have some privacy. I'll send someone with refreshments your way."

There was a room right next to the gathering place they were in just a minute ago. It looked to be in shape and even though it was dark, it felt inviting. There were two military-grade wall-mounted beds, usually seen in submarines or mobile bases. Sebastian took a mattress off one and placed it on the ground. He couldn't be sure if the bed was suited for a weight of two adult dragons.

He and Anna sat in silence for a while. Anna was leaning in Sebastian, soaking up the warmth of his body. Her gear was soaked, so she took it off and placed it on a line above a small heater unit.

"I've built that heater," said Anna into the silence, "It's using an efficient gas burning, like the one we use in our car engines."

"You've built that from scrap metal? That's impressive," replied Sebastian, complimenting the red scientist.

"I want to redeem myself," continued Anna, "My whole life, I've been used or been using others and it almost caused my own species to go extinct." She said in a way you couldn't almost recognise how much she was moved by the topic. Sebastian did sense the stream of thoughts inside of Anna's head.

"Is that why you've gone to exile?" Sebastian grabbed onto her frame and hugged her, as he had a feeling she was shivering slightly.

Without a word, Anna buried her nose inside of Sebastian's chest. Her claws were digging into the peacekeeper's sides as if her grip onto him meant to live or die any second.

"I am sorry," sniffed Anna, holding her sorrow back, "I thought I could manage my emotions, but talking about it like this..."

Sebastian held onto her. It was the least he could do. What now, though? He couldn't just take her back. Humans would act upon her past crimes and execute Anna on the first occasion.

Desperately trying to change the topic, Sebastian said, "What's at The Metal Peak of Saints?"

"Oh, that's just a silly nickname the local humans gave my workplace. It's an atmospheric processor I've been trying to get working for a couple of weeks now," explained Anna.

"So, my intuition was correct," looked Sebastian down upon her, "You are trying to melt this iceberg."

Anna wiped her eyes, even though there weren't any tears. She pushed her weight against Sebastian, shifting in a more comfortable position. "It's the best way to go. I just need parts to built a strong-enough Dragon generator. The nuclear plant at the place is frozen solid."

"In that case, I could help you," caught Sebastian on the topic, "I am pretty good sniff dog."

"Hold your horses, doggy," shook Anna her head, almost poking Sebastian with one of her horns, "This is my mess and I need to clean it up."

"For what I am concerned," wasn't letting up Sebastian, "I am a peacekeeper. That means such a noble mission have to be worked on with maximum intensity."

"Okay, that's enough. You are breathing in my ear," slid Anna off Sebastian, sat down next to him and used his shoulder instead.

"You do change moods every five minutes..." pointed out Sebastian.

"And you are incredibly muscular. How does anyone find you soft?" fired Anna back.

"Okay, I don't know if I should take that as an insult or a compliment," scratched Sebastian his temple.

Anna leaned into his shoulder once again and let him put an arm around her. "I'll leave that one up to you," she whispered. "The sun has set and there's the storm. Let's go to the Peak tomorrow and get some shut-eye in the meantime," she added.

"Indeed. Good night, Anna," Sebastian agreed on a quick rest. He let her slide down and put her on a mattress. Cloth cover and his leather jacket would have to do for now. He lied down next to her and hugged her, in an attempt to keep his precious warm.

The heater behind them cracked as a spark flew out of it.

The night would be a peaceful one, at least for a while.

* * *

Anna woke up with a snap. She had a light cover over herself and surprisingly, she felt warm. Two strong arms were wrapped around her. There he was, Sebastian, snoring softly. Her lips curled up in a smile.

"So, it wasn't a dream. You are truly my loyal admirer, Seb." Anna buried her nose between Sebastian's shoulder and neck in a gentle nuzzle. Damn the consequences and damn Remy. He never cared, he only cared to have Amely with him, to remind himself about his miserable life. Sebastian was always there and she just ignored him, like he was a ghost. Then she broke his heart and he still came back for her. That's what true relationship was about. Anna didn't even realise how much she missed to have someone watching her back.

Hard work was before her though. She had to give the people of the land a hope so she would pay for all the pain she had caused.

Sebastian shifted and opened his pink irises. His gaze met with Anna's.

"Good morning," he groaned, "It is morning, isn't it?"

Anna giggled, "Just by looking at you, it has to be. You are not much of a morning person, are you?"

Sebastian waved his talon, "Give me a break." He yawned, took the leather jacket used as a cover a few moments ago and put it back on his frame

The air in the room was warm because the heater by the door was still burning. Someone also brought in some food during their slumber. It was laying right next to the doorstep on a stylish food tray made out of a metallic mixture. The local settlers had to forge it themselves.

Anna grabbed the food tray and moved it within Sebastian's reach. She herself sat down next to the peacekeeper. They ate in silence. There wasn't much to say anyway, as their mission was clear. Get the environmental processor back on, find a way to get Anna pardoned. Happy ending. The last part was more of Sebastian's goal than Anna's. She didn't look eager to return back to the colony, who's late governor tried to kill her. The bounty might be withdrawn, but who knew what would some eager wanna-be assassin do in case Anna showed up. The return back home wouldn't be easy.

The last portion of the food disappeared from the tray. Anna leaned back and sighed, "I could get used to this. Food delivered right under my nose."

"Adine does that as her second job," said Sebastian, inspecting Anna's hand he was holding in his own. "You can always ask her."

"Oh yeah, that one," sighed Anna, "I've never really done her right, haven't I?"

"I don't think she holds it against you. You've saved her life once in the end," pointed out the brown runner, stood up and pulled Anna with himself. "You've wanted to show me your work and honestly I am interested," he added.

"Oh, you better be. It's a damned masterpiece," switched Anna back to her confident self. "Just let me return this food tray and we are good to go."

"Alright, I'll go get the car warmed up. Shouldn't take long," agreed Sebastian on the plan. He had earned a brief smile from Anna and they departed separate ways.

It was only about ten minutes. Sebastian was battling with the car engine. The machine was cold and didn't want to deliver a proper charge into the starter probe. Anna came from within his blind spot and startled the runner.

Sebastian shook like there was an electrical current going through him and fell on his butt. "Damn, Anna. I didn't see you over there."

"Are you really that jumpy?" smirked Anna and helped her friend up.

"I am when I am focused on something. It's actually not so hard to sneak up on me these days," filled her Sebastian in on the latest info. She still looked like she was having a good laugh of the moment.

"Wait, that's your car?" she asked after swallowing her triumph.

"Well, technically it's Lorem's," nodded Sebastian and tapped with his claw on the machine's chassis, "He built it himself from spare parts."

Anna glanced upon the rusted frame and grinned, "Figures, looks like it could fall apart any moment."

"Leave Lorem alone," defended the peacekeeper his friend's property, "He tries his best. Besides, this girl has carried me here, so she can't be that bad."

"No car is getting between you and me, be wary of that," threatened Anna with one claw raised.

"To be absolutely honest," scratched Sebastian his chin, "I wouldn't expect you to be jealous."

"Same as I wouldn't expect to date you just a week ago," said Anna. "Also, my feet are getting cold. Can we get a move on?"

Sebastian gave the dragoness a long gaze, then smirked, "Indeed, but first, we have to get this vehicle back on the road."

Sebastian jumped in the cockpit and pulled out a handheld generator and two long cables. He kept speaking, "The car is out of power, can't start her up. I'll need to recharge the battery a bit before we can think of anything else."

He handed the generator to Anna, while he was putting the conductive ends onto the battery.

"How can I...?" inspected Anna the device she was holding. "Who in the hell designed this thing?"

"One of the Lorem's colleagues. You have to press onto the handle until it clicks. Allow me,..." took Sebastian the generator of Anna's hands. She almost looked angry he didn't let her figure the mystery out.

The generator Sebastian was holding and attempting to use had a metallic chassis in a tube shape. There was an analogue voltage meter, which currently showed a big zero. An internal battery pack was also visible on the chassis, probably powering the grid and improving stability. Sebastian pressed onto a release button and held the handle down. Audible click could be heard and the voltmeter awoke. Sebastian briefly pumped with the handle and the voltage raised into the green zone.

"That should be enough," he mumbled to himself, let go of the button and disconnected the cables. Before could Anna come up with anything to say, he was putting the device back in the car and attempting to start the engine.

The car shook violently, as a cloud of thick smoke erupted from its exhaust. The bubbling of the engine only confirmed Sebastian was indeed successful. The peacekeeper himself put his arms up, as he was holding on to the chassis only with his legs, in a victory pose.

Anna stood there, taken aback. Sebastian certainly grew up.

After seeing the state of wilderness, no one would even suggest there was a storm raging outside just a few hours ago. Sebastian was steering the car through the canyons of solid ice, while Anna was sitting in a passenger seat, admiring the view. It wasn't like she didn't see such scenery before, it was moreover she didn't have a friend to share it with before. Sebastian was certainly more than a friend, but for the occasion, he would do.

"I've thought," started Sebastian about the topic of their final destination, "The environmental processor was situated more to the north and not so close to our colony or any living supplement at all."

"That's true," replied Anna, her voice getting lost in a wind partially, "It's about a one-day long journey by foot. With a car like yours, though, we could probably beat the distance in less than 3 hours."

"What are those people living in the bomb shelter?" asked Sebastian another question, because the silence between them was killing him.

"They are a cult of some sort," responded Anna. She didn't seem to mind the conversation. "Speaking of which, how did you find them?"

"I've got directions from a suspicious-looking guy. He used to work for Rexa, but he and his colleagues turned good after her downfall," explained Sebastian.

Anna's semi-ears perked up, and if she had fur, it would be standing by now. "What?"

She turned to Sebastian, giving him an angry growl, "They aren't good, they are trying to hunt me down. They are probably just looking for a lead on how to get me." She mumbled the last part to herself, and she scratched her chin. Sebastian would face-palm if he didn't have his hands full. He was so stupid, falling into a trap in his pursuit to find Anna, putting them both in grave danger.

Anna leaned out of the vehicle as if she wanted to know if someone was pursuing them or not. The frozen wasteland, however, was as calm as ever. Another ice storm was rolling in and would hit them in about a half a day.

"Let's just get to the Peak as soon as possible," exclaimed her wish Anna over the shoulder, "There's a bloody storm on the horizon and I don't want you to get involved."

"I appreciate the concern, but I am a peacekeeper and I have to stay. This fight is as much as mine as yours," shook Sebastian his head without moving his gaze from the road.

"This is not negotiable!" argued Anna. "You'll help me get the materials and then get the environmental processor or working. That's your task in this and the rest is my problem."

Sebastian smirked as if he was ignoring all the warnings Anna was giving off. "You are my problem now the same way as keeping peace is my duty." He gave the dragoness an apologetic look, "Sorry, but you don't have to do this alone, you know."

Anna took in a breath sharply and then exhaled loudly. "Fine," she said in the end. "But you are minding your own business and you are not allowed to touch me during your stay."

"Noted," grinned Sebastian with his teeth.


	5. Chapter 5 (Revised)

The atmospheric processor was standing tall above the wasteland. You couldn't miss it, even if there was a literal zero visibility. The construct was slightly tilted in the opposite direction of everlasting north winds.

"Well, I didn't expect something so big, to be honest," commented Sebastian upon their approach to the building.

"It has to be tall," explained Anna, who had her muzzle just inches from the other runner's temple. "It's tip must be reaching to an exact height of 35 meters, so the energy particles reach proper velocity before exiting the emitter."

"Bold choice, considering the activity around here," said Sebastian before pulling over next to the half-buried building's support leg.

Anna got out of the vehicle and went to inspect their surroundings. "There are no tracks," she announced after her quick jog around the construct. "We seem to be alone."

"A year of living in the wild experience?" asked Sebastian, who was taking out and checking his rifle.

"Basic survival tactics," crossed Anna her arms, "I would expect someone like you to know that."

Sebastian took off the clip, inspected the steel needles inside and mounted it back onto the weapon. "I know the guide. I've never had to use it though."

"You are in for the adventure with me then," grinned Anna, letting the arms fall back to her sides.

Sebastian looked through the rifle sights and grinned as well, "I don't know if I should be worried or not."

Anna didn't comment further. She grabbed Sebastian's arm and shoved him forward. It was a clear sign the time for standing around was over.

To the surprise of the peacekeeper, the pneumatic locks and basic electronics worked in the facility. Anna couldn't indeed hold her tongue and had to brag it was working all thanks to her work. There was no need to interrupt her in any way.

The inner chamber looked quite mechanical and futuristic with all the hanging wires, lights and buttons - all unpowered until Anna took it into her talons. The building sparkled with life.

"Wow," was the first semi-word Sebastian could get out of himself. "I've thought this place didn't have power."

"It does," said Anna, who seemed to be looking for something in a rather large waste bin, full of snippets and torn pieces of paper. "The reactor below us has got just enough kick in it to keep the lights on. Make it do anything more serious and it will overload."

She seemed to find what she was looking for. In her talons was a little worn out blueprint of a complex device.

Sebastian was admiring the room. "Right," he sighed, "What do you want me to do?"

"I'd ask you to snuggle up with me because my ass is getting cold." Anna was inspecting the blueprint and Sebastian was a secondary interest, "However, that would break our agreement. I'll have to send you down to the reactor."

Sebastian smirked, "It was your demand that I keep my hand in check. What's with the reactor?"

Anna put the blueprint on a metal desk and angled the hanging lamp so she had enough light. She tapped the paper with her claw. "There's a vital component I need, a piece of an active matter."

"You mean the positronic core," said Sebastian, "I know our generators run on anti-matter."

"I'd be concerned if you didn't know it," shot Anna a quick glance his way, "Off you go. I need to get the other parts ready. The core is sensitive to below zero temperatures and won't last long above here."

"Roger," saluted Sebastian.

He didn't have to ask for directions, as the path was rather obvious. Down the stairs, into the dark corners of the unlit corridors. He saw such architecture before in the old world. The Portal had similar catacombs under itself as well. In the dragon world, most of them were flooded, thanks to the close vicinity of the ocean.

Sebastian shivered, considering the tons of frozen water above him. If the temperature raised suddenly, he would drown for sure.

The silence was the friend and an only companion on his journey to the humming device called fusion reactor.

A sudden loud noise echoed through the tubularly shaped chamber he was in. The metal stairs ringed in a unison, sending literal shivers down Sebastian's body.

"Sebastian!" A scream flew down the chamber. Anna was standing high above Sebastian, leaning over the old metallic support, "Are you alright?"

"I am okay," rubbed Sebastian his temple. The rifle in his hand felt heavy out of sudden. "Any idea what it was?"

"It wasn't you?" yelled Anna, so Sebastian could understand her. "It had to be a gas pocket then. Recover the core and get out of there ASAP!"

That brought a smile onto the peacekeeper's lips. "Are you actually worried?" he smirked.

"I've given you an order! Get to it!" yelled Anna once more, in less friendly tone this time. She turned on the heel and showed Sebastian her back.

"You are worried, that's a twist," said Sebastian to himself. His right side was still deaf. However, that wasn't going to stop him though.

Pipes were fizzing with an unknown coolant liquid, going down to the reactor. Sebastian followed them, as they were his only lead at that moment. The battery of his trusted ActiveGlass recovered a bit and was hanging at eleven per cent of power.

The stairs ended out of sudden. The runner was standing on a concrete industrial floor. He couldn't recognize his surroundings, as if he walked through a portal of some kind. He still had those coolant pipes and following them was probably the best idea.

Any labels that showed directions had to wear off over time. They were some, but the elements wiped the text and pictures of them.

Sebastian could no longer hear the buzz of the reactor. He kept the direction and hoped there would be a clue where to go next.

"Why do humans build everything like a maze?" he thought aloud.

Fortunately, fate wasn't going to be cruel to the peacekeeper. The noise of the fans and electrical coils doing their business returned. Sebastian had to walk around the chamber and appeared on the other side.

The reactor wasn't like anything Sebastian had seen before. There were three tube-shaped pylons, glowing with a green light. Upon his approach, a console erected of the floor at the front of him. Sebastian was startled at best. He walked around the strange device. His goal was at the foot of the reactor.

Using a bit of common sense, Sebastian figured out only one reactor core was active. He would have to try and eject the inactive positron rod out of the reaction chamber.

Since when were humans using anti-matter for power generation? If they had such technology before they had made the first contact with dragons, why did they need the Dragon generators?

Sebastian spent good five minutes wondering which button to press out of the thousands of similar-looking ones. He returned to the console and used another ten minutes looking for a manual.

"What's taking you so long?" Anna was once again leaning over the guardrail in her makeshift lab, yelling at the top of her lungs.

"I need to eject the core out of the reactor. Hold on," replied Sebastian with hopefully enough intensity the red girl above him could hear him.

"Screw the safety systems," she complained, "Just pull the core out by the handle. The damned reactor is half-dead anyway."

Sebastian could feel the sweat on his forehead. "Quick and painless death, here I go," he mumbled to himself.

He returned to supposedly dead reactor chamber, grabbed the mentioned handle and pulled.

The core jumped out of the socket and hit Sebastian into his guts. With the last bit of his strength, he pulled it out completely, settled it down on the floor and sat next to it. The pain was a good reminder he wasn't dreaming, though he would prefer anything but getting the wind knocked out of him.

The core was a good three feet long tube, pulsing with a red light. It could weight from thirty to forty pounds.

Sebastian lifted himself up. His survival gear seemed to survive the impact without a scratch. The peacekeeper placed the rifle on his back because he would need both hands free to carry the core effectively.

He took the same path back and he was glad he did. There was another corridor going away from the reactor. A supply road? Was this facility used as a bunker?

Anna was tapping the ground with her feet. "About time," she said, "I thought you were going to bail out."

"Come on," smirked Sebastian, as he knew Anna wasn't serious. "You know me. Loyalty till death."

"Give me the core," shook Anna her head and took the device off Sebastian. "We've wasted enough time already."

Anna carried the core like it was her child. She placed it into a fixture she had got ready in Sebastian's absence. How long was she preparing for this act?  
Anna connected two cables from the extraction port of the core to the assembled chassis of the Dragon generator. Upon the press of a button, the core stopped glowing.

"It's done," sighed Anna, "My heritage and redemption." She took the generator into her talons and smiled at it.

Sebastian stood there, looking rather confused by what was going on in the front of him. "That was it?" he asked.

"Did you expect fireworks or something?" said Anna, giving Sebastian a grin, "Of course that was it. We just need to climb to the emitter above us and plug the generator in."

"Let me guess," scratched Sebastian his chin and pointed at Anna, "You want me to do the climbing."

"Noble idea," she shook her head. "But no. I'll do the honours. You can come with me though."

"I think I'll stay here," said Sebastian, "My legs are still killing me from the climb earlier."

Anna shot a quick glance his way and laughed on his account, "Whiny."

Before could Sebastian say anything, she was gone into the access shaft, climbing the ladder with the speed of a fierce predator. The chimney-shaped tube with ladder had to be the way to the roof. For a moment, Sebastian had an urge to go south on his words and jump after Anna.

He climbed into the shaft for a different reason though. The sudden scratching noise sounded from down below and quick footsteps could be heard on the metallic stairs. So much for being alone.

"Boys, this way!" A commanding voice echoed through the facility. "I've heard her! Anne Bright is here!"

Sebastian climbed the ladder and squeezed himself into the tight spot. He hoped his tail wouldn't suddenly slip and give away his location, as it was of almost the same length as his whole body.

"Damn it, search the corners! They are not here!" yelled the same voice.

Sebastian got ready. He knew the fight was coming and he couldn't avoid it.

Human head in helmet popped into the shaft. The human yelped in pain when his forehead met Sebastian's foot. The peacekeeper slid down the shaft, grabbed the human by a throat and used him as a living shield. With the other talon, he was holding the rifle at gunpoint with another mercenary at his right.

The third one, standing on the left discharged his weapon and made the living shield of Sebastian a very death piece of hanging flesh. The dragon tossed the body onto the third mercenary and pulled the trigger of his rifle. The needle harpoon flew through the air and pierced the helmet of the man, who yelped in surprise and lost the grip on his gun and then his life.

The third man, who unburied himself from under the corpse was just rising up, just to get a knocking blow of fired needle between the eyes. The man gave Sebastian one last look before falling over.

The peacekeeper hoped these three were the last. The truth was different though. Another three-man squad came from behind him through the main entrance. Weren't it one of the men said, "There they are!" Sebastian would be shot dead. That way, the human on the left of the leader was turned into a pincushion. Before the squad could react, another shot was discharged and hit the other human on far right.

The leader raised his attack rifle but was too slow for the dragon. The iron handle of the harpoon rifle hit the man's helmet and broke the glass. The man fired his rifle and Sebastian jumped away to dodge the bullet.

"Whoa! Calm down, buddy. You don't fuck around, do ya?" yelped the human and pointed his weapon at the peacekeeper. Sebastian did the same.

It was another draw.

"I am the peacekeeper and no one's going to touch Anna!" hissed Sebastian through closed teeth.

"You do really care about her, huh? Is that why you've come looking for her?" tried the human to get to Sebastian with words.

"Not a single step," growled Sebastian.

"Do you think I wouldn't notice? All that talk about being good was fake! We are trying to avenge Rexa, our true leader," said the mercenary.

"Rexa was only one selfish dragon, who didn't care about the consequences. She would wipe this iceberg clean," argued Sebastian.

"Same as your precious Anna in a way," snapped the human his fingers in Sebastian's direction, "Look at it again. Anna killed dozens of people over the last year, just to keep this master project of hers hidden. Is she really that different?"

Sebastian growled once again. He hoped Anna would get the processor ready before this clown was finished with his talk.

"This facility will make the wasteland livable again," said Sebastian.

"Indeed," the man agreed on a fact. "That's why we let Anna do her evil thing, while we acted like merchants." The man raised his fist in Sebastian's direction. "Getting ready to strike!"

The building hummed and shook in its roots. Behind the window, a green light enlightened the skies. Anna was successful. Also, she had no idea about the situation in her lab down below.

"And there it is," said the human, paying no attention to Sebastian out of sudden, "The gift of the Red Wastelander."

Noise in the shaft and sliding pair of talons echoed behind Sebastian. Before he could do anything, the man aimed his gun and fired at Anna, who just emerged from the ventilation shaft.

Sebastian jumped and felt the bullet pierce his guts. The rush of adrenalin hit him, but it was too late.

Anna yelled at the top of her lungs and charged at the human. The attack rifle barked once again but missed its target. Anna jumped to the side and buried her teeth into the human's neck. For the second time, she felt blood dripping down her throat.

As the noise settled down, Sebastian looked up. His vision was blurry and he couldn't feel his legs. There was something giving him hope though.

There was an angel above him, a weeping red angel holding his wound down.

"No! What have you done, you dumb fuck?" yelled Anna in Sebastian's face. "I am not ready to lose you like that!"

Sebastian tried to raised his hand to meet Anna's cheek. He realised he could not.

"Don't move," said Anna with heavy tone on sorrow in her voice, "You'll bleed out."

"I am going to bleed out anyway. That bastard got me good," snickered Sebastian, his words getting lost in a low whisper.

Anna examined her empty talons. They were red with blood all over. The portion of the nose she could see was also bloody. She was like a butcher of Hell.

She wanted to raise and try to find something that could help. She was stopped by a weak grip of Sebastian.

"Don't leave me," he whispered, "I don't want to die alone."

"You are not going to die," struggled Anna. Sebastian's grip was stronger than she had estimated. "Let me go!" she whimpered in a weak plea.

"It's too late," smiled Sebastian, "Take my rifle and get going. That's an order!" he said before his head fell to the side.

Anna raised up to her full height. That was it. Thanks to her stupid choices, her only true friend died. She would never know what a gentleman Sebastian was.

Anna took the peacekeeper outside. She knew the code of theirs. The peacekeeper was to be buried in a place where they had fallen. Anna saw it as a fitting opportunity to make Sebastian a ghostly guardian of the facility she worked so hard to get working.

She dug a grave near the foot of the atmospheric processor. She had to use her breath to make the ground soft, as the below zero temperatures did what they could do the best.

Anna felt like scum for taking Sebastian's gear. She knew it was almost a crime to separate Sebastian from his hat. It would become the only reminder of him though. She was keeping that police cap, no matter what.

Anna knew where she was headed. The prize for her hiding was too high. For a year, she was trying to run away from her own past only to get a reminder delivered right under her nose.

Where it brought her? She lost another important soul. Out of the sheer shock, she remembered Maverick. She didn't see him for a long time and had no idea where that silver grumpy dragon was. There was no sight of him in the colony and Bryce wouldn't give any clues on his whereabouts.

Anna was sitting in a driver's seat. The buggy that carried her and Sebastian stood undisturbed where they left it. The mercenaries probably thought it was a wreck.

Transport vehicle of those six fools that attacked them were also present. It seemed like they were nothing but rebels, as the main force of Rexa had much greater headcount than this.

In less than five attempts, Anna figured out how to get the car moving. It would take her some time to get back to the home colony.

What would her return be like? She could only wonder.


	6. Chapter 6 (Revised)

Adine was enjoying her half-day off work by taking a long nap. Alex was out, going about the duties of an ambassador. She was free to do whatever she wanted.

A flash of green and an aurora borealis like effect on the horizon pried her out of the rest. She rubbed her eyes and walked over to the window.

Her thoughts returned a day back to Sebastian. He came to her and talked about his plan to seek out Anna. Supposedly, that mad scientist had a lead on a device that could help everyone in the wasteland.

Adine looked once again at the green waves behind her window. Was that it? Did Anna succeed in her task?

Adine had to get the others together. They deserved to know.

* * *

To Adine's surprise, Bryce and even Lorem knew a bit about Sebastian and his plan.

"He asked me for a week off, well, sorta..." said Bryce.

"And he took my buggy," added Lorem.

"He visited my home yesterday and was going through my mum's things," also joined in Amely, who came because Remy refused to get mixed up in the deal. What a paranoid dork.

"Guys, this is serious," raised Adine both of her claws, "This could be the end of an ice age we've been living in for so long."

"What makes you say that?" asked Lorem, putting a claw on his shoulder.

Adine realised she looked like a mad priest explaining the creation of man. She quickly put her claws down, "Sebastian had this theory, that Anna wanted to make a certain place running again."

"An atmospheric processor," added Amely, who was standing behind Adine. She looked like the wyvern's lawyer in a strange way.

"I remember he was talking about something like that as well," scratched Bryce his head. "Those lights in the skies?"

"It could very well be one of those things," finished Adine.

"We better get our weathermen on this," said Bryce. "I bet they would want to know as well."

"I'll take care of this," volunteered Lorem. "What about the rest of us?"

"I suggest we return home and act like we know nothing," laid Bryce an idea out. "We better not alert the council or they might think we want to blow them up or something."

* * *

Adine didn't return home. She spread her wings and flew high above the colony to the tallest building - the watchtower.

She wanted to admire the view. It wasn't every day you could see emerald lines crossing the skies and tearing apart the storm clouds. Soon, the temperature would rise and life would get better.

A shadow appeared on a horizon. It looked and moved like a small car, driving down the supply road straight in the colony's direction. That caught Adine's attention.

She spread her wings once again and flew towards her find. She was getting to that traveller first.

Her heart skipped a beat. In the vehicle was no one else, but Anna. She was holding onto the wheel, looking uncomfortable, but determined.

Adine descended down to Anna and yelled the name of the red girl. Anna didn't look up, probably because she couldn't hear the wyvern. Adine lowered her altitude and attempted to land at the car. It proved impossible and Adine was forced to fly next to the running machine.

"Anna! Is that you?" yelled Adine at the top of her lungs.

"No, I am a demon from Hell! How do you stop this thing?" yelled Anna back.

"There's a pedal in the middle. Try stepping onto it!" suggested Adine. "Whoa!" A sudden breeze swept the wyvern of the air and sent her crashing into the ground.

Anna pressed onto the break and the car jumped violently. The engine gave out and its rear pair of wheels started sliding. The red runner opened the door and jumped out.

The car made a three hundred-degree horizontal spin before crashing into the snow dune.

Anna looked around herself. She still had the police cap on. That was a plus. Then she saw Adine, lying lifeless on the frozen ground.

"Adine!" cried Anna and with all her four limbs she got moving.

"I am okay," groaned Adine. "I've survived worse falls, don't worry."

"Damn it, I've thought I've lost you too," kneeled Anna next to the wyvern and pulled her up. Adine felt the arms of the red girl around herself.

"Anna? What happened to you? I don't remember you acting this way," wondered Adine about the sudden shift in the personality of Anna.

Anna could feel tears in her eyes and she quickly wiped them clean. Not yet, she wasn't ready.

"Can we talk later? I don't think I am ready," said Anna with an apologetic smile.

"Of course. Where's Sebastian?"

Silence. Or at least a relative one. With the mention of Sebastian, the water well of tears opened for real this time. Both girls sat there in silence. Adine had a slight idea and Anna refused to talk.

* * *

In the end, Anna spent all the capacity for the grief she had. She was the only one who didn't cry at the formal funeral of Sebastian.

Bryce made it a personal thing and only a few people were invited. Even more so because of the controversial circumstances and the return of the feared Anne Bright.

It would take months before the memory of Anna's past would disappear from the minds of malicious people. As it turned out, humans refused to accept a dragon could do something as massive as solving the global crisis. Even though the official report existed and the council had Anna pardoned and held as a hero, a great number of humans didn't acknowledge a word of the truth. Instead, a cult of the Red Wastelander rose from the ashes of the past. The humans were more comfortable with building a shrine to a fake god, than accepting their saint was living among them.

Anna didn't care.

The pain in her heart disappeared over time and only a memory remained. She returned to her formal position of the analytical chief for the Peacekeepers. Work did her good and let forget.

Even though she was reminded every day of Sebastian. In the end, though, she thought it was okay because as long as she could remember him, he was still alive.

Let your soul find rest in the eternal world of joy and peace.

We will miss you, Sebastian.


End file.
